Turkish food in the DC area?

[LorenRae]

Any Turkish food will do...but what I'd really love is a doner kebab like I used to eat while living in France, where they offered you red or white sauce and put amazing fries inside the sandwich, served in half a chunk of a round bread loaf. (it's a major craving, no doubt).

[venera]

Is Anatolia still open on the Hill? God, I loved that place in my DC days.

Anatolia Turkish Cafe 633 Pennsylvania Ave

[brianV]

Unfortunately what you are looking for is a way of serving doner that's unknown in Turkey itself; purely a western european invention. So you're not going to find it at a Turkish restaurant here. That said, I'd recommend the doner at Cafe Divan across from the Safeway in upper Georgetown. Attractive place, good doner and other kebabs, good pides. Friendly service. Have the Iskeneder kebab, a traditional Turkish dish of doner on top of cubed pide, with yogurt and tomato sauce.

[LorenRae]

Yeah, I should have clarified that the doner I miss was pretty well a Western/French affectation. but I do also greatly enjoy Iskender kebab, so I'll have to check out some of y'alls suggestions. Thanks!

[kneelconqueso]

i believe there are doner kebabs at turcuisine in herndon. its in the worldgate shopping center.

[Dennis S]

I think I saw this place going in, but not open. Have you been? If so, what are your thoughts?

[kneelconqueso]

i havent tried it yet. i just remembered walking by and looking at the menu and seeing that they had doner kebabs, which i have never eaten but have seen lots of people in the area looking for them on dcist and chowhound.

[baconjen]

I have had the doner kebab at Nizam's in Vienna and I thought it was delicious (caveat: I haven't had it any other places to compare). I also respected the service at Nizam's because the waiter told my husband, as he placed his entree order, 'to be honest, that really isn't one of our best'..and then ran down the list of his favorites. I really appreciate honestly like that. Friendly place.

[mattm]

Kazan is a good, moderately priced sit-down Turkish restaurant in McLean, VA. They serve doner kebab, but not in sandwiches with fries.

[kcm19]

I was just at Kazan a month ago and had the doner kabob - it was very, very good. I think they may only serve it on weekends, though.

[Indy 67]

Doner Kebab nights are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at Kazan's.

We always get Kazan's doner kebab version with yogurt, tomato sauce, and pita chips. (They also serve another version.) In Turkey, the yogurt version is called Iskander (Alexander) kebab. At Kazan's it's called something like yogurtlu.

Kazan's food is delicious and the place is packed with employees from the Turkish embassy. Still, neither of Kazan's yummy doner kebabs is what the OP asked for since they are entrees rather than a sandwich.

[Dennis S]

I don't think they're Turkish, but Attilla's on Columbia Pike serves doner in their sit down half. There's one other NOVA place I've seen it but I'm blanking right now.

[LorenRae]

And yes, gyros are very similar, but just enough different that I'm trying to hunt this down. Thanks!

[MikeR]

It's been a long time since I ate at Nizam's Turkish restaurant in Vienna (shopping center on Maple Ave [Rt 123] and Nutley Road - Village Green or something like that) but donner kebab was a special a few nights of the week. The restaurant has been there for quite a few years so I suspect it's still good and donner kebab is still a special. It's worth a phone call.

My only other donner kebab experience was over 30 years ago in London where I had a sandwich that was more like what Attilla's (several locations) serves than the platter I had at Nizam's.

A while back here there was a discussion about the difference between donner kebab, gyros, and shwarma and I'm not sure there were any definitive conclusions. Perhaps that will revive here.